Hearing set for Aug. 31 into firing of policeman in Moose Jaw MARK MELNYCHUK

Dates have been set for a disciplinary hearing for a Moose Jaw officer who was dismissed in 2019 due to allegations of misconduct.

Alan Murdock, who was a 30year member of the Moose Jaw Police Service, has appealed his dismissal. During a conference call on Tuesday, hearing officer Jay Watson set Aug. 31 for the start of the three-week hearing.

A location for the hearing has not yet been determined. Watson noted the proceedings will also have to contend with public health order restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We do have still a pandemic that we’re working with in terms of how many people are going to be allowed in different places. We’ll have to think about that. Hopefully by then we’ll be allowed to have enough room that anybody that wishes to appear can appear, but again we’ll have to play that somewhat by ear,” said Watson.

Under the current public health order, public and private gatherings cannot exceed 10 people.

Murdock was dismissed following investigations into numerous allegations of misconduct, but the details of those allegations have not been made public. Some of the allegations against Murdock are from several years ago, while others are more recent. The investigations were done internally.

Murdock was involved in the service’s patrol area and performed general policing duties. Murdock’s 30-year career in policing was spent entirely at the Moose Jaw Police Service.

During an interview last year, Moose Jaw police Chief Rick Bourassa said complaints about Murdock came directly to police, as well as from the Public Complaints Commission, a non-police body that investigates complaints made against municipal police.